Get Perfectly Spaced Garden Veggies With This DIY Seed Tape

This amazingly simple trick will help you plant perfectly spaced rows of carrots, radishes, and more.

Any seasoned gardener knows that it's difficult to space tiny seeds, like carrot seeds, in the garden. They get stuck to things, you lose them altogether, and the spacing is never quite right. Lucky for you, there's a solution—a homemade seed tape—and we're almost positive you have all the necessary supplies to make it. Here's how in three easy steps:

(On just a quarter-acre of land, you can produce fresh, organic food for a family of four—year-round. Rodale's The Backyard Homestead shows you how; get your copy today!)

Step 1

Unroll a strip of toilet paper on a table (double ply works best), mist it with a sprayer, and place the seeds along the center of the strip. Be sure to space the seeds based on the seed packet’s recommendation. Tip: Alternate carrot seeds with radish seeds because when the radishes sprout, they help to mark the row and break the ground.

Step 2

Starting along the strip’s long edge, fold a third of the paper over the seeds, then fold the other third over to cover the seeds completely. Lightly tamp the paper, misting it again to secure the seeds. Make as many of these strips as you need. Then carefully carry them to the garden.

Step 3

Make shallow furrows in the prepared soil, lay the strips down, and cover them. In a jiffy, your small seeds will be planted and perfectly spaced.

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